The photo above was taken by me last night in Christ Church Erith; it shows the audience assembling for a showing of the excellent film "Hidden Figures" as part of Black History Month. I was unable to take photos of the full audience, as the main lights were turned off before the film started, and I did not want to use flash. The event was also to raise funds to go towards the installation of toilets inside of the church, a project being managed by the Friends of Christ Church Erith. Currently if you are visiting the church and need to use the loo, you have to take a trek round to the church hall - a fair distance, and especially quite hazardous at night, as much of the path between the church and hall is unlit. The film was a great success, although the start had to be delayed, as the DVD player initially used to show the film developed a fault, and a second player had to be used. The delay meant that the raffle draw which had been planned for the end of the event was brought forward. Nevertheless all those who attended enjoyed themselves, and a substantial sum of money was added to the toilet in the church project. More on "Hidden Figures" at the end of this week's update.
As regular readers will be aware, I am very keen on observing the law of unintended consequences. Several of these unintended consequences are occurring either now, on in the very near future. Unfortunately very few people - and especially politicians, are aware of them. I am not about to debate the ins and outs (pun intended) of the whole Brexit issue, because (1) I don't do politics on the Blog, and more importantly (2) because it is outside of the remit of the Maggot Sandwich, which deals primarily with issues in the Northern part of the London Borough of Bexley. However, some anomalies have been discovered which do bear reporting. Among the daily two-dozen or so government updates on Brexit progress slipped in on Friday were a number considering the impact on copyright and intellectual property. Firstly: anyone using an EU satellite decoder to access programmes included in a UK broadcast (to avoid a charge) will be breaking the rules after Brexit. If you are accessing programmes in your native language, or otherwise using an EU decoder for any reason except to avoid paying you can continue to do so - all rather confusing. Also changing are rules on EU Portability Regulation. This currently allows people to access online services from anywhere in Europe as if they were at home. So you can use Amazon Prime or Netflix, for example, if you are a British citizen temporarily in another European country. European citizens have the same rights when visiting the UK. That arrangement will end come Brexit. Providers will no longer have an obligation to make sure that is possible, although they may continue to do so on a voluntary basis. The EU Orphan Rights Directive will also be removed. In simple terms this covers copyrighted items – films, books or photos – where the rights holder is either not known or cannot be found. It covers quite large amounts of material held by archives and museums and offered online. The British Film Institute, for instance, offers 170 orphaned works on a dedicated YouTube channel. Government advice is for cultural institutions to remove any orphaned works from their collection online, consider applying for a UK orphan licence, or if they have a UK licence find a way to limit access to only UK residents.
Plans have been submitted to Bexley Council Planning Department regarding the old Hainault building in Lesney Park Road. The submission is for the demolition of the existing buildings and erection of 25 dwellings comprising 5 x 4 bed, 7 x 3 bed, 5 x 2 bed houses and 8 x 1 bed supported living apartments together with car parking and associated works, as shown in the picture above - click on it for a larger view. The site has some considerable local history. The Infant Welfare and Maternity Home was opened in 1920 by the Erith Urban District Council in a large Victorian house named 'Hainault', bought for the purpose as a cost of £1800. The Home had six beds, three of which were in the maternity ward. There was also an infant welfare centre, and antenatal, dental and school clinics were held there. The coach house and stables were converted into an operating theatre. The staff consisted of two midwives, a ward maid, a cook and a caretaker. The Maternity Home remained open during WW2, although it was in a danger zone. A temporary clinic was added in 1943. In 1944 a flying bomb exploded nearby and caused considerable damage, but the only injury was to a baby in its cot. In 1945 the building was extended and the bed number increased to 22. In 1948 the Home joined the NHS under the administration of the Woolwich Group Hospital Management Committee. It was renamed the Hainault Maternity Hospital. In 1956 the bed numbers were increased to 24. In 1965 a delivery unit was added, which provided two first-stage rooms and a bathroom, WC and sterilising room. The Home closed in 1974 with 21 beds, a victim of the new NHS policy of placing maternity units in general hospitals. From 2009 until 2014 the Hainault became Hainault Hostel, a long-stay hostel with 12 beds for people with learning difficulties run by the MCCH Society Ltd. After 2014 it was closed, and is now being readied for demolition. My understanding is that the old buildings did not meet modern health and safety regulations, and would have been too difficult (and thus expensive) to modify.
A story that has not been picked up to date by the local media is a very worrying one. You may well be aware that Police Officers were called at 2.48pm on October 13th to Barnehurst Avenue following reports of males fighting in the street. Officers attended with the London Ambulance Service. A 20-year-old man was found suffering from a stab injury to his chest. He was taken to an East London hospital, where he died at 5.27pm that day. Two sixteen year old boys were subsequently arrested on charges of murder. What is far less well known is that a stabbing happened on Friday night in Erith. At around 11pm on Friday the 25th of October, a youth was stabbed in Aperfield Road, Erith; I understand he then staggered into Manor Road near to the zebra crossing outside of the Premier corner shop, where he flagged down a passing car and the sought aid. Police and Ambulance personnel were soon on the scene, and the whole of Manor Road was closed to traffic for several hours. It is understood that the injuries to the youth were relatively minor; nevertheless this is an alarming development. I am unaware and unable at this point to comment on the specifics of the case.
There has been considerable controversy and discussion on a number of radio enthusiast websites over the last month or so; the reason for the debate has been the fact that the 648 KHz Medium Wave transmissions from Radio Caroline have been much reduced in output power for some time, and many listeners have been concerned about this; some theorised that Caroline had deliberately cut the transmitter power to save on the electricity bill. This turns out to be far from the case, and the conspiracy theorists were incorrect. Radio Caroline Transmitter Engineer Alan Beech writes:- "Radio Caroline returned to the medium waveband on 648 KHz AM as a legal broadcaster at the end of 2017 after applying for and being granted the OfCom licence for the Essex and Suffolk areas of South Eastern England. You can hear us strongly in Suffolk and most of Essex, with the signal dropping off gradually further afield. Those with 'good' radios or communication receivers can hear us at considerable distances from our transmitter, depending on local conditions and other factors. In the 'watery wireless' days Radio Caroline, and other offshore radio stations, had to use radio-ships housing powerful transmitters to broadcast to their area of choice. These days, with an efficient aerial at a suitable land-based location extreme high power isn't as necessary – although our allocated 1 kilowatt ERP has challenged our engineers to get the best match between transmitter and aerial to squeeze every milliwatt of our power allocation up the aerial mast! Our (second hand) Nautel transmitter is housed at the former BBC World Service site at Orford Ness, an irony not lost on us. The site though is not open to the public, and being on an island isn't readily accessible to anybody except those that work there full time. Getting this far was a long process, but it has given the station a tremendous boost and helped prove that, despite the current pan-government trend of dropping AM in favour of DAB, there is still sufficient interest in old fashioned 'steam radio' – and indeed the radio sets to receive it. On Friday 11th of October our engineers made a long planned visit to our 648 transmitter site to give the equipment a general tune up and service. It was two years ago when we installed the equipment at Orford Ness in October 2017, and we knew that future access for maintenance visits would need careful planning and arrangement. Not just because it is located on a remote site only accessible by boat, but also our engineers all live 100-200 miles away and have their own busy work schedules. It is testament to the quality of the 25 year old Nautel transmitter and the other equipment which was expertly installed by our engineers that it has run for 2 years without requiring a single maintenance visit - something that was unimaginable when we were out at sea and equipment needed almost constant attention. However, our on site telemetry system reported minor problems following late summer thunderstorms, and over the past month or two our own observations plus comments from listeners were that our signal was not as good as it used to be. On site we found that two of the six power amplifier modules within the transmitter had shutdown (presumably as a result of lightning strikes) and would not respond to a remote reset command. These were manually reset and a general overhaul of the equipment was undertaken. The air filters for the cooling fans were found to be caked in dust and dirt and with these cleaned the airflow is now much better and the amplifier temperature much lower. All electrical connections were inspected for tightness and voltage and meter readings noted to make sure everything was within spec. We also took the opportunity to finely adjust our audio processing since this is much easier to do precisely when you have test equipment such as an oscilloscope and modulation monitor connected to the transmitter rather than adjusting remotely and relying on your ears! Overall we were impressed as to how clean and the stable the installation was, considering it is so close to a salt water environment. Various comments received from listeners during Friday all reported improved reception so it was definitely a worthwhile visit and gets our signal ready for those dark winter days when interference levels on the AM band generally increase". So there you have it - no conspiracy, merely a much overdue need for preventative maintenance.
A story that has not been picked up to date by the local media is a very worrying one. You may well be aware that Police Officers were called at 2.48pm on October 13th to Barnehurst Avenue following reports of males fighting in the street. Officers attended with the London Ambulance Service. A 20-year-old man was found suffering from a stab injury to his chest. He was taken to an East London hospital, where he died at 5.27pm that day. Two sixteen year old boys were subsequently arrested on charges of murder. What is far less well known is that a stabbing happened on Friday night in Erith. At around 11pm on Friday the 25th of October, a youth was stabbed in Aperfield Road, Erith; I understand he then staggered into Manor Road near to the zebra crossing outside of the Premier corner shop, where he flagged down a passing car and the sought aid. Police and Ambulance personnel were soon on the scene, and the whole of Manor Road was closed to traffic for several hours. It is understood that the injuries to the youth were relatively minor; nevertheless this is an alarming development. I am unaware and unable at this point to comment on the specifics of the case.
There has been considerable controversy and discussion on a number of radio enthusiast websites over the last month or so; the reason for the debate has been the fact that the 648 KHz Medium Wave transmissions from Radio Caroline have been much reduced in output power for some time, and many listeners have been concerned about this; some theorised that Caroline had deliberately cut the transmitter power to save on the electricity bill. This turns out to be far from the case, and the conspiracy theorists were incorrect. Radio Caroline Transmitter Engineer Alan Beech writes:- "Radio Caroline returned to the medium waveband on 648 KHz AM as a legal broadcaster at the end of 2017 after applying for and being granted the OfCom licence for the Essex and Suffolk areas of South Eastern England. You can hear us strongly in Suffolk and most of Essex, with the signal dropping off gradually further afield. Those with 'good' radios or communication receivers can hear us at considerable distances from our transmitter, depending on local conditions and other factors. In the 'watery wireless' days Radio Caroline, and other offshore radio stations, had to use radio-ships housing powerful transmitters to broadcast to their area of choice. These days, with an efficient aerial at a suitable land-based location extreme high power isn't as necessary – although our allocated 1 kilowatt ERP has challenged our engineers to get the best match between transmitter and aerial to squeeze every milliwatt of our power allocation up the aerial mast! Our (second hand) Nautel transmitter is housed at the former BBC World Service site at Orford Ness, an irony not lost on us. The site though is not open to the public, and being on an island isn't readily accessible to anybody except those that work there full time. Getting this far was a long process, but it has given the station a tremendous boost and helped prove that, despite the current pan-government trend of dropping AM in favour of DAB, there is still sufficient interest in old fashioned 'steam radio' – and indeed the radio sets to receive it. On Friday 11th of October our engineers made a long planned visit to our 648 transmitter site to give the equipment a general tune up and service. It was two years ago when we installed the equipment at Orford Ness in October 2017, and we knew that future access for maintenance visits would need careful planning and arrangement. Not just because it is located on a remote site only accessible by boat, but also our engineers all live 100-200 miles away and have their own busy work schedules. It is testament to the quality of the 25 year old Nautel transmitter and the other equipment which was expertly installed by our engineers that it has run for 2 years without requiring a single maintenance visit - something that was unimaginable when we were out at sea and equipment needed almost constant attention. However, our on site telemetry system reported minor problems following late summer thunderstorms, and over the past month or two our own observations plus comments from listeners were that our signal was not as good as it used to be. On site we found that two of the six power amplifier modules within the transmitter had shutdown (presumably as a result of lightning strikes) and would not respond to a remote reset command. These were manually reset and a general overhaul of the equipment was undertaken. The air filters for the cooling fans were found to be caked in dust and dirt and with these cleaned the airflow is now much better and the amplifier temperature much lower. All electrical connections were inspected for tightness and voltage and meter readings noted to make sure everything was within spec. We also took the opportunity to finely adjust our audio processing since this is much easier to do precisely when you have test equipment such as an oscilloscope and modulation monitor connected to the transmitter rather than adjusting remotely and relying on your ears! Overall we were impressed as to how clean and the stable the installation was, considering it is so close to a salt water environment. Various comments received from listeners during Friday all reported improved reception so it was definitely a worthwhile visit and gets our signal ready for those dark winter days when interference levels on the AM band generally increase". So there you have it - no conspiracy, merely a much overdue need for preventative maintenance.
Another planning related story, this time with the controversial White Hart African Restaurant in Erith High Street. The restaurant has now been open for a year, after it got it original extended hours licence application rejected. It originally wanted to open from 10am until 5am the next morning, seven days a week. Last October a session of the planning committee sat in Bexley Council Offices to consider the application by the licencee, Mr Ojuanu Sodunke. It was unanimously rejected. In her representation to the sub committee, Councillor Nicola Taylor said:- "Erith does welcome this restaurant to the area and the opening is much anticipated. We have followed the restoration of the historic building closely. However, this establishment is close to residential homes. Behind it there are two retirement developments, and there are family properties close. All of these residents would be impacted. All of the residents have expressed concerns over the increase of public nuisance. The town centre is quiet in the evening. Residents have a fear the area will become an area known for excessive drinking, possibly worse. It seems mad to have an establishment open for these hours. We have got to consider the community as a whole". The White Hart already held / holds what is termed as a "Luxury" licence, which enables it to open until 1am on Friday and Saturday - more than enough time to operate as a restaurant and bar. Quite why Mr. Sodunke wanted to open until 5am still seems unclear. Now, exactly one year later, he has made a further licencing application. This time the request for a change in the licence conditions reads as follows:- "The application is to apply to change the Class Use of the Premises from A4 to mixed use A3/A4, as the premises predominantly trades as a restaurant under the current owners. This use of the premises commenced on the 17/10 /2018, when licensable matters were finally sorted out, and it was only when the applicant received a letter from Bexley Council advising that they did not have the correct permitted use to trade as a restaurant that this application was commenced. The application is also seeking to remove the following conditions from the current planning permission 15/02366/FUL. No Live Music. We wish this to be removed, to allow the applicant the flexibility to have live African music for certain events. given the soundproofing has been installed in relation to recorded music, the live music would be subject to the same conditions as recorded music and so would not cause a disturbance to the residents. Sales to cease at 23:00 hours Monday to Sunday and the premises closed at 23:30 Monday to Sunday. We wish to amend the permitted hours to align with those granted by the Licensing Authority, namely Sunday to Thursday 10:00 to midnight, with the doors locked at 00:30 hours, and Friday and Saturday 10:00 to 01:00 with the doors locked at 01:30. These hours have in the past been traded, with no complaint from residents and neighbouring properties". What this change in planning status does not address is the stark fact that The White Hart has been using the former pub's beer cellar as additional restaurant space, despite being forbidden to do so by the London Fire Brigade, as the converted cellar space only has one entrance / exit, and no secondary fire escape. This restriction was made abundantly clear at the planning meeting last year, but photographic evidence shows that the former cellar area is in use despite being forbidden by the fire brigade. On top of this, the restaurant still only has a one star "Scores on the Door" hygiene rating, as you can see by clicking here. We need more restaurants, bars and other night time venues in the local area, but they have to be compliant with the regulations. Feel free to contact me in confidence at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
I have written at some length in the past of Hiram Maxim, the American born, but naturalised British subject who went onto to be granted a Knighthood. There was a second foreign born engineer and inventor who worked in Erith at around the same time as Hiram Maxim; his name was Thorsten Nordenfelt. He was a Swedish born and educated man who married a British woman and moved to the UK - his photo is above - click on it to see a larger version; initially they lived at an address in the Uxbridge Road, Paddington, after migrating to the UK in 1867. Thorsten and his British brother in law started a business trading high quality Swedish steel for British railway rails and engineering fittings. After a while, he founded the Nordenfelt Arms and Ammunition Company, which manufactured a variety of medium calibre deck mounted guns for arming motor torpedo boats and coastal patrol vessels. The guns were manufactured in Erith (as you may gather, in Edwardian times, Erith was a major centre for weapons manufacture, and many locals were employed in the factories). The problem that Thorsten Nordenfelt had was that he was an excellent engineer, but an absolutely terrible businessman. His arms factory was losing money hand over fist, and after much pressure from his bank – Rothschilds – Nordenfelt was forced to merge his company with Maxim to form the Maxim Nordenfelt Guns and Ammunition company, with Maxim as the majority shareholder. Two years later Nordenfelt was declared personally bankrupt, and lost complete control of the company, leaving Maxim the benefactor. Not to be deterred, Nordenfelt and his family upped sticks and moved to France, hoping to start afresh. He set up a new company designing arms, and developed a revolutionary new breech mechanism for the French 75mm field gun. This all went swimmingly until he received a letter from Maxim’s lawyers, reminding him that he had signed a non compete clause that Nordenfelt had signed upon leaving the Maxim Nordenfelt company. The case went as far as the House of Lords, and was found partially in Nordenfelt’s favour, but by this time he had grown heartily sick of the arms business, and decided to go into the then brand new submarine business instead. He formed a new company with a vicar and keen amateur naval architect called the Reverend George Garrett. They jointly designed a new submarine – the Nordenfelt One, which weighed in at fifty six tons, was 19.5 metres long and had a range on the surface of 240 kilometres, powered by a one hundred horse power steam engine which gave the vessel a speed of nine knots. It was armed with a single torpedo, and a deck mounted gun. It had to shut down the steam engine before it could dive. It was accepted by the Greek Navy, but never saw active service, and ended up being scrapped in 1901. A Nordenfelt Two submarine was later built, followed by a Three, which was larger at thirty metres long; It did have one claim to fame – it was the first ever submarine to successfully fire a torpedo at a target whilst fully submerged. The final Nordenfelt submarine was the Four, which was commissioned by the Russian Navy, but in sea trials it proved to be unstable and very unseaworthy, and ended up running aground off Jutland. The Russians refused to pay for it, in yet another commercial disaster for Nordenfeldt. He then decided to call it a day and retired to Sweden, where he died in 1920 aged 78. Some small signs of Thorsten Nordenfelt do still exist in Erith. Nordenfelt Road, off West Street is one link, as was the Nordenfelt Tavern at 181 Erith Road – a local pub named after the man; it is now long closed and converted into flats, and so another link with our past is severed. Please leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
The Association of Bexley Charities '78 held its Autumn Fair in the Geddes Place Reformed Church Hall, Bexleyheath on Saturday the 26th October. There were eleven stalls selling a variety of goods including Christmas cards, calendars, children’s toys, knitted goods, cakes, jams, jigsaw puzzles, books, model railway items, jewellery, handbags, clothes and shoes. The refreshments, tea, coffee, cakes and cheese and ham rolls were particularly popular. The event was very well attended by more than 100 people. The Worshipful the Mayor of the London Borough of Bexley, Councillor Geraldine Lucia-Hennis and her husband, Peter Lucia-Hennis, also supported the event and spent more than an hour meeting and talking to the stall holders. Thanks to John Salt for the information and the photo above - click on it for a larger view.
Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly the report from Barnehurst ward:- "Unfortunately Barnehurst have suffered a burglary and an attempted burglary. Both Incidents occurred on Monday 21st October 2019. In Holmsdale Grove between 08.10pm – 11.00pm an untidy search was carried out throughout the property. Cash and jewellery were taken. It is believed entry was gained by forcing the front door which was not locked securely due to a faulty mortice lock. The attempted burglary occurred overnight in Westfield Road whereby tools were used in an attempt to gain entry. Tool marks were visible to the top and bottom frame. Thankfully no entry was gained. In Eversley Avenue on Monday 14/10/19 overnight a vehicle was broken into and a wallet taken. Also in Eversley Avenue on Monday 14/10/2019 and again overnight an attempt had been made to steal a motorcycle from a drive way. The security chain was found cut and steering lock broken. A lock on the front wheel prevented the bike from being stolen. In a private car park in Colyers Lane between the Friday 18th – Monday 21st October suspects have jumped over a fence to gain access to a BMW. The dashboard, gearbox, and door interiors were taken from the vehicle. On 22/10/19 victim returned to his van in Eversley Cross to find a side window smashed. Fortunately the van was fitted with an alarm, tracker and a steering wheel lock. Nothing was taken.The team attended a Diwali community event. Officers gave crime prevention advice and were happy to answer questions on local issues. The event proved very successful. We cannot stress enough the importance of looking at your home security especially at this time of year. Is the front of your property obscured by trees/bushes giving burglars more time? Do you ask neighbours to take wheelie bins in or remove leaflets sticking out of letterboxes? What items do you leave in your porch? (Items left here tell a burglar something about the residents) Do burglars see what your home is like by having a clear view through a window? Are you double locking your doors ? Think about things what you could do to make it look like someone is home. Alarm systems nowadays can be affordable and are very easy to use. Our community contact session will be on Tuesday 05/11/19 at 11.00 in Barnehurst Golf Club. Please pop along and meet the team. This is also an opportunity to meet other residents on the ward". Belvedere ward:- "PC's Rob and Marc have been undertaking patrols across the ward this week including plain clothed drug patrols and burglary initiatives. Two males in the past week have been stopped and searched by the officers and drugs found and cautions administered accordingly. These took place in Brook Street and Picardy Road respectively. PCSO Jay has been completing his usual sterling reassurance work and visiting those unfortunate enough to have been the victim of a burglary. Here he offers crime prevention advice along with the opportunity to take part in the smart water initiative which has been a huge success within the Met. A gentle reminder please to all residents about securing windows and doors at night and when leaving the property. The run up to Christmas historically can see a rise in burglary and theft offences, so therefore anything you can do to hinder these horrible crimes will stop you from becoming a victim". Bexleyheath ward:- "There was a theft of number plates overnight 19th October/20th October. Removed from a black Toyota Aygo whilst parked in Trinity Place". Crayford ward:- "On Saturday 12th October at 3.45am someone was disturbed trying to get in to a garden shed in Heathview Avenue, no entry was gained. A window was smashed by 2 male youths and one female youth in Crayford High Street on Tuesday 15th October at 21.10. A female victim's black and white bicycle with black bags near the rear wheel that was chained up. was stolen from near the Doctor surgery in Crayford Town Centre. On Friday 11th October it was reported that a number of cards and pin numbers and letters relating to loans had been received at an address in Dale Road. It transpired that the postman had kindly told the residents that post was being stolen from external letter boxes, they had removed theirs and then received this post in their name which it is believed the suspect intended to steal from the external post box and use fraudulently. A large quantity of beef joints were stolen from Aldi on Thursday 17th October at 20.15, the IC1 male described as having dark hair got in to a grey Mercedes convertible to get away. A motorcycle was stolen from The Homestead between Thursday 17th October and Friday 18th October, no make, model or number plate given on the report. Between 17.00 on Sunday 20th October and 8.29 on Monday 21st October the corner stone of a wall was damaged, shrubs were destroyed and vandalism occurred at Hall Place overnight. A car intentionally drove at a parked vehicle in the car park at Denton Road, moving it some distance. There was an attempted burglary in Crayford Way on Monday 21st October at approx. 21.45. The suspect smashed the porch door and attempted to enter the front door within but was disturbed by the homeowner, the suspect ran off and got in to the front passenger seat of a small black car. Iceland had meat stolen on Monday 21st October at 9.30am, the female was seen putting meat in her bag, she abused staff on being challenged, they have CCTV and photographic evidence. On Monday Monday 21st between 6.00 and 23.30 someone attempted to enter a property in Medway Road causing damage to the rear door lock, UVPC surround and seal, entry believed to be via shared access between houses. On Wednesday 23rd October at 00.55 a vehicle came in to the rear of Tower Retail park and attempted to jack up a silver Honda Jazz, on being disturbed the suspects chased the victim before making off. On Tuesday 22nd October number plates were stolen from a vehicle parked in London Road, no further details known at this time. Our next community contact session will be held at Vintage Lindy Lou's at Waterside Gardens on Wednesday 30th October between 10.00-11.00. Could I urge those of you with external mailboxes to consider that a criminal can get their hands in them and remove your post, gaining your identity and attempting to obtain credit in your name. The darker nights are really drawing in now, please visit www.met.police.uk/burglary to consider ways to keep your home safe and looking occupied when you are out". Erith ward:- "Trick or treating. We want you to enjoy Halloween, but remember, not everyone wants to take part! Here's a few things to remember when you're out this Halloween. • If you're going trick or treating, make sure you go with an adult and your parent or carer knows where you're going and when to expect you back. • Respect posters asking you not to trick or treat at someone's house. • Don't go trick or treating alone - stay with your group. • Eggs and flour are for baking. Don't throw them. • Be careful crossing roads in the dark. Residents advice - It is not just at Halloween when unexpected callers turn up on your doorstep. • Remember official visitors should always make an appointment beforehand • Look through the door view or window to see who is outside. • If you decide to open the door, put the chain or bar on first. • Check the caller's details before you let them into your home. Telephone the relevant organisation to confirm the caller's identity • Do not rely on a phone number that the caller gives you". Northumberland Heath ward:- "At 04:35 hours, the Police were called to Bexley Road, DA8 following reports of a male lying unconscious in the road. Police attended and established that the male was the victim of a fail-to-stop road traffic collision. The victim is a 26 year old male from the Bexley area. Enquiries are on-going at this time for the driver and vehicle. The victim remains in a critical condition at a hospital in South London. Police are asking for witnesses to come forward".
Slade Green and Northend ward:- "Only one crime of note. Around 4am on Saturday 19/10 a vehicle was broken in to on the new estate at Egerton Place next to Richmer Road. Items taken were a Satellite Navigator, an iPod and cash. Again we reiterate the importance of removing ALL valuable items from your vehicle at all times. Our police officers have been working late shifts doing ASB (Anti-Social Behaviour) patrols with our neighbouring SNT's in the last week and this will continue until after bonfire night. This time of year is always busier in terms of ASB so extra effort is being made across the borough to do targeted patrols in hotspot areas. Halloween will see many more officers patrolling during the evening times. PCSO Mark attended the Welcome Café at St Augustines church on Tuesday. 30 people were there to enjoy tea, cakes and lunch with Reverend Jim Bennett and church staff. (see photo above - click on it for a larger view). Our next Community Contact Session is on Monday 28/10/2019 in Slade Green Library from 3pm". Thamesmead East ward:- "Thursday 17/10/19 smashed window to vehicle. Another incident occurred between the hours of 04;30pm of 16/10/19 and 08;00 of the 17/10/19 the drivers window was smashed, nothing taken. Between Monday 21/10/19 at 10:00pm and 07;40 of Tuesday 22/10/19 the drivers side window was smashed .The vehicle was displaying both front and rear green taxi badges, nothing taken. Between the hours of 01;00am and 11:00am of Tuesday 22/10/19, the drivers window was smashed and a sat nav was taken from the glovebox. Two vehicle owners residing in Wolvercote Road ,but had their vehicles parked near Coralline Walk, the drivers window of one vehicle was smashed ,two pairs of glasses to the value of £210;00 were taken. Lensbury Way. Between the hours of 05:00am - 05:30am on Thursday 17/10/19, the owner of a vehicle heard a window smash and saw a suspect making off.£50.00 in change was taken. Officers conducting an arrest enquiry found the male to have in his address, property belonging to an recent victim of theft from a motor vehicle. Enquiries are ongoing".West Heath ward:- "One attempted burglary in Long Lane on Saturday October 19th between 6am – 6.30am. The occupant heard a noise and went downstairs but did not see anything. He went back up to bed and then the lights came on and he discovered the living room rear window damaged. He stated the window is double glazed and the inner pane was cracked. He looked out of his conservatory and saw a suspect in a hood jump over his wall and run away. He also stated when he heard the first noise it was the suspect trying the handle on his front door. We have had several motor vehicle crimes reported to us over the last week. One theft of a white Sprinter van in Bedonwell Road overnight between Tuesday October 22nd at 8pm and 7am on Wednesday 23rd when the victim discovered it missing. Theft on a front number plate from a vehicle parked in Bedonwell Road on Saturday October 19th at 11pm. A handbag containing a number of personal effects were stolen from a vehicle in Longleigh Lane between Saturday October 19th at 8.50pm and 11am the following morning. It is believed the vehicle was accidentally left unlocked. Please check your vehicles are locked and secure before leaving them unattended and do not leave any items on show for potential thieves to steal".
The end video this week harks back to the first news story in this week's Maggot Sandwich update (who says I don't plan these things?) It is the trailer for the film "Hidden Figures" as shown at Christ Church Erith last night. If you have not already seen this excellent movie, then I would strongly recommend that you do so. It is available on DVD and Blu Ray, as well as on several streaming video services - your mileage may vary. Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly the report from Barnehurst ward:- "Unfortunately Barnehurst have suffered a burglary and an attempted burglary. Both Incidents occurred on Monday 21st October 2019. In Holmsdale Grove between 08.10pm – 11.00pm an untidy search was carried out throughout the property. Cash and jewellery were taken. It is believed entry was gained by forcing the front door which was not locked securely due to a faulty mortice lock. The attempted burglary occurred overnight in Westfield Road whereby tools were used in an attempt to gain entry. Tool marks were visible to the top and bottom frame. Thankfully no entry was gained. In Eversley Avenue on Monday 14/10/19 overnight a vehicle was broken into and a wallet taken. Also in Eversley Avenue on Monday 14/10/2019 and again overnight an attempt had been made to steal a motorcycle from a drive way. The security chain was found cut and steering lock broken. A lock on the front wheel prevented the bike from being stolen. In a private car park in Colyers Lane between the Friday 18th – Monday 21st October suspects have jumped over a fence to gain access to a BMW. The dashboard, gearbox, and door interiors were taken from the vehicle. On 22/10/19 victim returned to his van in Eversley Cross to find a side window smashed. Fortunately the van was fitted with an alarm, tracker and a steering wheel lock. Nothing was taken.The team attended a Diwali community event. Officers gave crime prevention advice and were happy to answer questions on local issues. The event proved very successful. We cannot stress enough the importance of looking at your home security especially at this time of year. Is the front of your property obscured by trees/bushes giving burglars more time? Do you ask neighbours to take wheelie bins in or remove leaflets sticking out of letterboxes? What items do you leave in your porch? (Items left here tell a burglar something about the residents) Do burglars see what your home is like by having a clear view through a window? Are you double locking your doors ? Think about things what you could do to make it look like someone is home. Alarm systems nowadays can be affordable and are very easy to use. Our community contact session will be on Tuesday 05/11/19 at 11.00 in Barnehurst Golf Club. Please pop along and meet the team. This is also an opportunity to meet other residents on the ward". Belvedere ward:- "PC's Rob and Marc have been undertaking patrols across the ward this week including plain clothed drug patrols and burglary initiatives. Two males in the past week have been stopped and searched by the officers and drugs found and cautions administered accordingly. These took place in Brook Street and Picardy Road respectively. PCSO Jay has been completing his usual sterling reassurance work and visiting those unfortunate enough to have been the victim of a burglary. Here he offers crime prevention advice along with the opportunity to take part in the smart water initiative which has been a huge success within the Met. A gentle reminder please to all residents about securing windows and doors at night and when leaving the property. The run up to Christmas historically can see a rise in burglary and theft offences, so therefore anything you can do to hinder these horrible crimes will stop you from becoming a victim". Bexleyheath ward:- "There was a theft of number plates overnight 19th October/20th October. Removed from a black Toyota Aygo whilst parked in Trinity Place". Crayford ward:- "On Saturday 12th October at 3.45am someone was disturbed trying to get in to a garden shed in Heathview Avenue, no entry was gained. A window was smashed by 2 male youths and one female youth in Crayford High Street on Tuesday 15th October at 21.10. A female victim's black and white bicycle with black bags near the rear wheel that was chained up. was stolen from near the Doctor surgery in Crayford Town Centre. On Friday 11th October it was reported that a number of cards and pin numbers and letters relating to loans had been received at an address in Dale Road. It transpired that the postman had kindly told the residents that post was being stolen from external letter boxes, they had removed theirs and then received this post in their name which it is believed the suspect intended to steal from the external post box and use fraudulently. A large quantity of beef joints were stolen from Aldi on Thursday 17th October at 20.15, the IC1 male described as having dark hair got in to a grey Mercedes convertible to get away. A motorcycle was stolen from The Homestead between Thursday 17th October and Friday 18th October, no make, model or number plate given on the report. Between 17.00 on Sunday 20th October and 8.29 on Monday 21st October the corner stone of a wall was damaged, shrubs were destroyed and vandalism occurred at Hall Place overnight. A car intentionally drove at a parked vehicle in the car park at Denton Road, moving it some distance. There was an attempted burglary in Crayford Way on Monday 21st October at approx. 21.45. The suspect smashed the porch door and attempted to enter the front door within but was disturbed by the homeowner, the suspect ran off and got in to the front passenger seat of a small black car. Iceland had meat stolen on Monday 21st October at 9.30am, the female was seen putting meat in her bag, she abused staff on being challenged, they have CCTV and photographic evidence. On Monday Monday 21st between 6.00 and 23.30 someone attempted to enter a property in Medway Road causing damage to the rear door lock, UVPC surround and seal, entry believed to be via shared access between houses. On Wednesday 23rd October at 00.55 a vehicle came in to the rear of Tower Retail park and attempted to jack up a silver Honda Jazz, on being disturbed the suspects chased the victim before making off. On Tuesday 22nd October number plates were stolen from a vehicle parked in London Road, no further details known at this time. Our next community contact session will be held at Vintage Lindy Lou's at Waterside Gardens on Wednesday 30th October between 10.00-11.00. Could I urge those of you with external mailboxes to consider that a criminal can get their hands in them and remove your post, gaining your identity and attempting to obtain credit in your name. The darker nights are really drawing in now, please visit www.met.police.uk/burglary to consider ways to keep your home safe and looking occupied when you are out". Erith ward:- "Trick or treating. We want you to enjoy Halloween, but remember, not everyone wants to take part! Here's a few things to remember when you're out this Halloween. • If you're going trick or treating, make sure you go with an adult and your parent or carer knows where you're going and when to expect you back. • Respect posters asking you not to trick or treat at someone's house. • Don't go trick or treating alone - stay with your group. • Eggs and flour are for baking. Don't throw them. • Be careful crossing roads in the dark. Residents advice - It is not just at Halloween when unexpected callers turn up on your doorstep. • Remember official visitors should always make an appointment beforehand • Look through the door view or window to see who is outside. • If you decide to open the door, put the chain or bar on first. • Check the caller's details before you let them into your home. Telephone the relevant organisation to confirm the caller's identity • Do not rely on a phone number that the caller gives you". Northumberland Heath ward:- "At 04:35 hours, the Police were called to Bexley Road, DA8 following reports of a male lying unconscious in the road. Police attended and established that the male was the victim of a fail-to-stop road traffic collision. The victim is a 26 year old male from the Bexley area. Enquiries are on-going at this time for the driver and vehicle. The victim remains in a critical condition at a hospital in South London. Police are asking for witnesses to come forward".
Slade Green and Northend ward:- "Only one crime of note. Around 4am on Saturday 19/10 a vehicle was broken in to on the new estate at Egerton Place next to Richmer Road. Items taken were a Satellite Navigator, an iPod and cash. Again we reiterate the importance of removing ALL valuable items from your vehicle at all times. Our police officers have been working late shifts doing ASB (Anti-Social Behaviour) patrols with our neighbouring SNT's in the last week and this will continue until after bonfire night. This time of year is always busier in terms of ASB so extra effort is being made across the borough to do targeted patrols in hotspot areas. Halloween will see many more officers patrolling during the evening times. PCSO Mark attended the Welcome Café at St Augustines church on Tuesday. 30 people were there to enjoy tea, cakes and lunch with Reverend Jim Bennett and church staff. (see photo above - click on it for a larger view). Our next Community Contact Session is on Monday 28/10/2019 in Slade Green Library from 3pm". Thamesmead East ward:- "Thursday 17/10/19 smashed window to vehicle. Another incident occurred between the hours of 04;30pm of 16/10/19 and 08;00 of the 17/10/19 the drivers window was smashed, nothing taken. Between Monday 21/10/19 at 10:00pm and 07;40 of Tuesday 22/10/19 the drivers side window was smashed .The vehicle was displaying both front and rear green taxi badges, nothing taken. Between the hours of 01;00am and 11:00am of Tuesday 22/10/19, the drivers window was smashed and a sat nav was taken from the glovebox. Two vehicle owners residing in Wolvercote Road ,but had their vehicles parked near Coralline Walk, the drivers window of one vehicle was smashed ,two pairs of glasses to the value of £210;00 were taken. Lensbury Way. Between the hours of 05:00am - 05:30am on Thursday 17/10/19, the owner of a vehicle heard a window smash and saw a suspect making off.£50.00 in change was taken. Officers conducting an arrest enquiry found the male to have in his address, property belonging to an recent victim of theft from a motor vehicle. Enquiries are ongoing".West Heath ward:- "One attempted burglary in Long Lane on Saturday October 19th between 6am – 6.30am. The occupant heard a noise and went downstairs but did not see anything. He went back up to bed and then the lights came on and he discovered the living room rear window damaged. He stated the window is double glazed and the inner pane was cracked. He looked out of his conservatory and saw a suspect in a hood jump over his wall and run away. He also stated when he heard the first noise it was the suspect trying the handle on his front door. We have had several motor vehicle crimes reported to us over the last week. One theft of a white Sprinter van in Bedonwell Road overnight between Tuesday October 22nd at 8pm and 7am on Wednesday 23rd when the victim discovered it missing. Theft on a front number plate from a vehicle parked in Bedonwell Road on Saturday October 19th at 11pm. A handbag containing a number of personal effects were stolen from a vehicle in Longleigh Lane between Saturday October 19th at 8.50pm and 11am the following morning. It is believed the vehicle was accidentally left unlocked. Please check your vehicles are locked and secure before leaving them unattended and do not leave any items on show for potential thieves to steal".
The end video this week harks back to the first news story in this week's Maggot Sandwich update (who says I don't plan these things?) It is the trailer for the film "Hidden Figures" as shown at Christ Church Erith last night. If you have not already seen this excellent movie, then I would strongly recommend that you do so. It is available on DVD and Blu Ray, as well as on several streaming video services - your mileage may vary. Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
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